Flexible electrical conduit is frequently used in residential and commercial wiring in order to satisfy building codes, and because of the versatility imparted by the flexible nature of the conduit. All of the wiring typically originates at a central fuse box, or junction box, and may terminate at, or pass through, a variety of fixtures or other various housings requiring electrical connections. In order to prevent the wire from being pulled free at any of these locations, the electrical conduit may be secured to the junction box and any fixture along the way.
The problem of securely fastening flexible electrical conduit in a junction box has been solved in several ways in the past. One such solution involves die cast sleeves which are threaded into the opening in the junction box and then secured by a locking nut. Conduit is then fed through the sleeves and clamped by screw-tightening a bar assembly to bear upon the inserted conduit. While this method serves the ultimate purpose of holding the electrical conduit in the junction box, it has several drawbacks.
Connectors involving die cast sleeve assemblies typically have several separate subparts which are manufactured and then loosely assembled and sold as a connector unit. Individual assembled units must then be dissembled for installation at the worksite. Such a complicated manufacturing and installation technique is very expensive and time-consuming. Also, junction boxes of the type in which the connectors of the present invention are designed for use are often located in out-of-the-way places to which access is limited. Die cast sleeve assemblies have proven difficult to use where needed because the numerous small parts require ample space and a dexterous hand to assemble and fix in position in the junction box. Finally, die cast assemblies by their very nature tend to be somewhat weighty and costly.